Being a teacher is hard

Being a teacher is hard. The range from pure joy to heartbreak is greater than I could have possibly ever imagined. The things that bring me joy are so different then what I thought where the redeemable factors for teaching. Anyone in the educational field laughs at the idea of it being a nine to five job with a great paycheck. And most people in the world recognize, acknowledge and appreciate the sacrifice that teachers make. But there is no way to fully put into words the joy of watching a student understand something for the first time. Or hearing a middle schooler say that it's the first time they been excited to go to school because they have friends. I've worked and been exposed to students in many different environments from those who are multi billion dollar heirs to children whose greatest wish in the world is to have food whenever they are hungry.

While I have a responsibility to ensure that students are learning a certain amount of content, I

believe that our education system has gotten away from teaching people how to exist as human beings. I work at a school now that puts a high priority on creative thinking, problem solving, kindness and acceptance. Teaching students how to have a conversation, particularly if there is a disagreement, is a critical skill, in my opinion, missing in today's society. Children are learning how

to hide behind social media to flame, argue and shame others simply for having a different perspective or opinion. I know it's hard for people to see that schools and education are different than what they were when you were a kid. They are different from when I begin teaching 6 years ago. It will never be a perfect system, of that I am sure. But if you are disappointed in ”the children of today,” I challenge you to contact a teacher and go spend time in their classroom. If you want society to change, empower our younger generation. Help them see they have a voice, they are important, and that their ideas have value.

Let me Google that for you

I'm naturally inquisitive. I wonder about a lot of things. I remember days on the playground pondering the development of language between running around playing chase or games of pig on the basketball court. Who decided that the letters c-a-t looked, sounded and meant what they do now? So maybe my nerdy tendencies run deep but I am grateful to my parents for developing my sense of wonderment.

I still have that same questioning nature about me, the only difference between then and now? I can find answers to my questions at a moment's notice. The universe's answers are at my fingertips 24-7. Does this make me any less inquisitive because the information is so easily accessible? 

Absolutely not! In fact, people who know me well know that I often have problems sleeping and it's frequently the result of a random question, thought or idea. A quick search for an answer can lead me down a rabbit hole of knowledge for hours. I have often found myself suddenly in complete darkness because the day had ended around me. While I have received criticism for being too reliant on technology, I have learned to acknowledge and move on because for an information nerd like myself, the instant access to answers allows my obsessive tendencies to let go.


Rather than chastise the younger generation about their use of technology and bombard them with comments such as "when I was young and in school..." acknowledge that the world is not what it once was when you were young. In case you haven't noticed, the younger generation is often rebellious and stubborn. Instead of complaining, chastising or otherwise making us feel bad for using the modern technology, learn with us and help us to build a culture around the quest for learning and knowledge.

Portfolio Life in Space: NASA ISS and Astrobiology

As you know, I am in the process of completing my masters in education from Adams State University. I am working through their Curriculum and Instruction program which will include a STEM certification offered by the Endeavor STEM Teaching Certificate Project through Columbia Teachers College. These courses have been some of the most engaging and interesting courses I have taken throughout my LONG educational career. Not only are the instructors knowledgeable, but they are timely in their feedback and the course content is meant to be directly applicable to the classroom- not just a study on theories.

For the past semester, I have been working through various content related to NASA's International Space Station and the concept of Astrobiology. Despite the topic being on the lower end of my interest scale, I learned a great deal and feel that my students are getting an opportunity to work with the required standards in a little bit different context. This course had five main objectives that I have selected artifacts to demonstrate how I have implemented concepts in my classroom. In order to share my work, I utilized the new Google Sites to create a digital portfolio. Due to the craziness that always comes with the logistics of being a teacher, some of the projects are still ongoing.